


Thank the Angel for Werewolves

by AnnCherie



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Also Jace is angsty, M/M, Maia is an angel even when she doesn't want to be, Past Abuse, Past Clace, Past jaia, past climon, past jordan/maia, past saia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-17 10:21:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11849577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnCherie/pseuds/AnnCherie
Summary: When an unexpected and unwanted visitor steps into Hunter's Moon, Simon Lewis gets into his very first bar fight. Oddly enough, that's not even the weirdest part of the night.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So the brilliant Kelsey (claryroberts on tumblr) inspired me to write this so you should all thank her to be honest.

 

* * *

 

 

 

Simon isn’t exactly sure when he started hanging out at the Hunter’s Moon every minute of his free time, especially considering he and Maia were no longer dating, but the blood is easy and he doesn’t have to pretend to be something he wasn’t. No matter where he was he ran into Maia-- it didn’t help that the boathouse was across from the Jade Wolf-- so they had decided on staying friends. Weeks had passed and now she almost seemed like she had forgotten about his lies about the Seelie Queen. The other night she had even given him some blood on the house with the same “you’re pathetic but cute” smile she used to flash at him before.

 

Tonight the bar is quieter than usual. The fairy lights around the liquor shelves still gleam and there’s actually the sound of radio music toward the back, almost loud enough that Simon can pretend he doesn’t hear the sounds of Jace talking with Alec quite a few seats back. Simon has to admit he’s almost shocked that the two brothers are alone but doesn’t think much more about it other than it’s good they finally have time outside of the Institute. Maia doesn’t seem to feel the same, shooting glares at Jace’s back the entire time she’s not serving the few customers. Maybe she hadn’t quite gotten over the Seelie Court and how Jace had kept the knowledge of Simon’s promise from her for over a week until the shadowhunters figured out how to rescue him…

 

He’s decided he’s about done with his drink and is pulling out his wallet when he’s interrupted by the sound of shattering glass and a huge intake of breath. His eyes dart up to see Maia’s wide with her hand on her mouth and a more vulnerable expression than he’s ever seen her have in front of him. Swiftly turning around to see who came in that she’s staring at, he sees a tall guy with tattooed arms-- definitely not runes, but instead swirling script-- and hazel eyes standing there looking just as shocked. When the guy’s expression turns to regret it clicks who this is, and before Maia can do anything Simon’s jumped up and crossed the room with speed only to block Jordan’s way into the bar.

 

“You’re not welcome here,” he says firmly, anger seeping through. Maia wasn’t his girlfriend anymore and he had never been _in love_ with her but he still cared about her enough to despise anyone who could have abused and then attacked her like that. “Leave.”

 

In the corner of his eye he can see that both Alec and Jace have tensed, watching the situation extremely closely. After everything they know better than to just jump into downworlder affairs, but Simon knows it’s only a few words away from them getting involved. Sometimes shadowhunters were a little too like their mundane police counterparts.

 

“You can’t tell me what to do vamp,” Jordan replies angrily, all signs of conflict he had looking at Maia gone now that he was watching Simon with contempt. “Get out of my way.”

 

Jordan glances behind Simon who turns to see that Jace had gotten out of his seat and folded his runed and muscled arms across his chest. Alec was watching both Jace and Jordan carefully but was still on the edge of his seat. Jordan scoffs and takes a quick look at Maia who hasn’t moved but is now watching him with a desperate sort of anger. Simon knew she was more than able to kick Jordan’s ass if she wanted, but he had seen from watching Jace with Valentine the first time how impossible it looked to fight your abuser.

 

“Everyone here is tight,” Simon reaffirms, not about to disclose Maia’s history but also wanting Jordan to know he wasn’t getting any support here. “So believe me when I say you’re better off walking back out that door.”

 

“Or what? You’ll have your shadowhunter buddies make me?” Jordan asks with a glare. Simon could feel the werewolf’s heartbeat starting to race and found himself tensing as well. “I just need to talk to her--,”

 

“You’ve done enough!” Simon yells, right before he is dealt a resounding punch in the face.

 

While he had expected something, he hadn’t quite expected that or at least the timing, and he’s taken back a few steps. Jordan decides to keep attacking despite Maia yelling. Before Simon could even get in a punch back Jace has launched over and thrown Jordan across the bar in the opposite direction by his jacket. Wooden chairs all but explode on impact and one of the tables topples as Jordan slams into it. Simon heard Alec groan loudly behind him, but as Simon stands up Jace is still pummeling Jordan.

 

Maia had come out from behind the bar now that her yelling had no effect on Jordan and pushed past Simon’s shoulder to yell, “Jace! Stop! Simon’s fine!”

 

Surprisingly, given Jace’s best efforts otherwise, it works. He pauses for only a moment to send Maia a rather dangerous glare, but in that moment Jordan had gotten up to have another go this time as a werewolf. Before he can change Jace whips around with a seraph blade that seems to appear out of thin air. Jordan doesn’t move now, the blade pointed at his neck.

 

“Didn’t you hear Simon?” Jace asked Jordan edgily, his temper tightly controlled. “You’re not welcome here. And if you _ever_ touch _him_ \--,” there’s a brief flicker of Jace’s eyelashes and a purse of his lips in the second that he pauses, “--or anyone else in this bar again this fight will go differently.”

 

Jordan’s breath is still uneven and the look that he’s giving Jace is more menacing than Simon thinks he’s ever seen-- other than maybe the look Jace is giving in return. But he nods minutely and Jace withdraws the blade and with a violent slam of the door on his way out Jordan leaves.

 

“Are you okay?” Simon asks Maia worriedly, at the same time hearing Alec ask Jace, “Was that really necessary?”

 

With a small inhale and a nod, she manages a smile and jokes, “Yeah. It’s cool having friends with superpowers this time. Even if I could have handled it myself.”

 

“I know, and I’m sorry,” Simon rushes to say. “If I overstepped I really didn’t mean to, I just--,”

 

“No, it’s okay,” Maia interrupts and she looks serious. “As much as I’m a stronger person now, being caught off guard like that-- I wasn’t prepared. Having friends back me up meant a lot. Thank you.”

 

“Not all of your pack are werewolves,” Simon jokes back with a grin, and Maia laughs with a shake of her head as she replies, “You know Luke might just make you an honorary wolf one day Mr. Vampire.”

 

Simon smiles back, glad that things are okay and that they’re friends again. It isn’t for a minute till he hears chairs scraping that he looks behind and sees that Jace is grudgingly pulling together the mess he made by throwing Jordan. Alec is back at their original table talking on the phone with an exasperated tone retelling what just happened to what sounds like Magnus. _Simon got in a fight with some werewolf and Jace had to jump in and be his hero again_.

 

Making a face at the way Alec worded it, he stops listening and walks over to Jace. Maia’s walking back to the bar but she still calls out, “Just because you’re cleaning up doesn’t mean free drinks Shadowhunter!”

 

“She’s really still mad at you, huh?” Simon chuckles as he helped Jace turn over one of the knocked down tables.

 

“Yeah,” Jace agrees. He looks up from the table to Simon, looking a little awkward. “You okay?”

 

“Of course, I’m a big vampire now,” Simon replies, trying to move past the weirdness of Jace acting concerned about him. “Along with the disadvantages come perks like healing. You’re not going to tell Clary about this right? She’ll never let me live getting into a bar fight down. I mean I know she’s your girlfriend, but--,”

 

“She’s not.”

 

“Thanks, man,” Simon replies. Maybe keeping Jace’s blood a secret actually had paid off.

 

Jace huffs with annoyance. “No, Simon, not ‘she’s not going to find out’, I mean she’s not my girlfriend.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Simon asks, more than surprised but also confused as hell. “As of tonight? Clary would have told me if you guys broke up and I haven’t gotten a call or text or anything.”

 

Now Jace looks more uncomfortable than the time that he caught Simon and Clary about to have sex in the boathouse. “I asked her not to tell anyone.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I didn’t want anyone asking why we broke up, okay?” Jace replies gruffly. He then seems to decide that now is a good time to move on to picking up the broken pieces of wood from shattered chairs.

 

Grabbing one of the trash cans by the door, he offers it to Jace who put his growing collection into it without a word. Simon put the container down by them so he could start picking up the smaller pieces that Jace had missed, but pauses when Jace had stopped to begin staring at him.

 

“Aren’t you going to ask why we broke up?”

 

Simon isn’t sure how that’s not a rhetorical question. “Well ignoring the fact I can probably get it out of Clary later anyway, you literally just told me you didn’t want people asking why. I’ve learned not to push you if I don’t want some witty retort flung back at me. We’re not close enough for you to tell me.”

 

He might have a concussion, because for a second Jace looks hurt. Simon quickly adds, “I mean you _could_ tell me, I would listen, but you’ve never once shown interest in opening up to me. The longest conversation we’ve ever had was you trying to tell me how to flirt and pick up girls.”

 

“You mean him trying to sabotage your date with me,” Maia says from behind them. She has two shots in her hands, one of blood and one of whiskey and she hands them out to the boys. Jace took his a little slowly, glaring rather hard at Maia who was smiling back with that sweet but possibly evil expression she sometimes got.

 

“I was bored,” Jace says neutrally with a cool smile, but his tone was off.

 

Maia scoffs and walks back to the bar to serve her other customers who didn’t seem to care that there was a brawl not more than twenty minutes earlier. That was one of the nice things about Hunter’s Moon, Simon thought.

 

“See?” Simon says, downing his shot. Jace gave him a questioning look. “You’d rather mess around with me than open up.”

 

“Did you _actually_ tell him finally?”

 

They turn around yet again this time to see Alec looking at them, no longer on the phone with Magnus on the other side of the room. Jace’s expression completely changes and the shadowhunters then have a very long nonverbal conversation. Stupid parabatai bond. Annoyed that they’re ignoring him like old times, Simon tells Alec, “If you’re talking about his break up with Clary, yeah I know.”

 

Alec takes a moment to look at Simon with the same incredulity as always, but he doesn’t insult Simon this time or pretend that it’s Simon’s fault for not knowing. Instead he turns back to Jace with the same look, huffs, and announces, “I’m all for moral support but this is getting ridiculous. I’m going back home to Magnus, Jace.”

 

“Alec!” Jace calls out as his brother leaves, chasing after him.

 

Simon stares, confused and not knowing if he really wants to understand or not, and goes back to the bar.

 

* * *

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maia decides to nudge Simon in the right direction

* * *

 

 

When Simon sits down at the bar again having watched Jace leave, he asks Maia for another shot so he can heal the hits he took to his face, ribs, and gut just a tiny bit more. They're not hurting him badly and he technically doesn't have to worry about sheer mortal danger every second now that things have settled down politically with Valentine but he still finds himself happy for the chance to heal any injury instantly. When Maia brings the glass of o-negative to him a few minutes after trying to calm the other guests down about some Downworlder bet she gives him a long look as she asks, “So what was Jace trying to open up to you about?”

 

“I have no idea,” Simon replies with a sigh. He swirls the blood against the glass for a moment as he tries to ignore the feeling his talk with Jace had left him with. 

 

“Really?” Maia asks skeptically, tilting her head. “You have absolutely no clue?”

 

Simon shakes his head, hands up. “No Maia, but I’m guessing you do from your tone, so spill.”

 

“Yes, I do know,” Maia agrees with a smile, pouring a shot of her own. The ability to hold a hefty amount of liquor as a werewolf probably came in handy as a bartender. “But I’m all knowing. I’d tell you, but he seems to be trying to himself and I don’t know if I hate him  _ that _ much.”

 

Squinting at her doesn’t help. She knows she’s being vague and she seems to be enjoying it. When he doesn’t say anything just to get her back, she sighs and throws back the shot. Resting the glass soundly on the table, she asks, “So how do you feel about Jace?”

 

Now that was an unexpected question… Simon hesitates briefly only to say, “You know how I feel about him. We’re like frenemies.”

 

“Yeah, okay,” Maia chuckles sarcastically. “I’ve been around vampires long enough to know that drinking someone’s blood doesn’t usually lead to platonic feelings.”

 

“That didn’t change how I feel about him,” Simon defends a little too quickly. Had he been the one to tell her he drank from Jace? The last few months had me so blurry… he wasn't sure who else knew. Maia raises an eyebrow. Much quieter, he warily explains. “Okay, I mean it sort of did but not because of the blood, because he was even willing to give it instead of finding a different solution. I mean he almost let me drink too much.”

 

Maia simply laughs, shaking her head. Simon didn’t see the humor. “Nothing, nothing. Just him being that selfless is suddenly funny to me. So what about the first time you met him. No feelings? Pansexual feelings?”

 

Finally it dawns on Simon what Maia was getting at, which is embarrassing. Usually he’s a lot more quick to pick up things like that. Hoping desperately that vampires aren’t able to blush and trying not to freak out, he says, “You’re asking if I find him  _ attractive _ ? Seriously?”

 

She doesn’t say anything, just smiles patiently. Apparently Maia knows him better than he thought, because he ends up doing exactly what she expects and fills in the awkward silence with a little too much private information. “Okay, just because he’s not ugly and I’m pan you really think I have a crush on him?”

 

“That’s not why,” Maia argues easily, clearly having too much fun. “It’s the fact that you’re freaking out and have to say ‘not ugly’ instead of hot.”

 

Simon glares at her. She smiles. “Fine, he’s… hot. But just because he has abs and crazy beautiful eyes doesn’t mean I have feelings for him.”

 

“Okay, sure,” she chuckles. “So why don’t you then? What’s stopping you?”

 

_ What’s stopping him? _ Everything. The fact that Jace would never feel that way about him, the fact that he was always going to be a vampire to him now that he wasn’t a mundane, the fact that Jace was the kind of guy that used “book club” as a way to have sex with girls, the fact that Jace only seemed to romantically care about Clary… Lamely, he tells Maia, “The fact that he’s straight, for one.”

 

Her eyebrows raise and her lips curl into an enormous smirk as she slowly replies, “He’s left here with guys too.”

 

“ _ What _ ?” Simon exclaims, loudly enough that some of the other customers turned to glance at him. He felt a little ashamed, but not really. The news that Jace Herondale had sex with men was too shocking to take with ease. “ _ When _ ? Are you sure it was to hook up?”

 

“Before he and Clary started dating,” Maia shrugs, acting like this wasn’t earth-shattering information. “And yes, Simon, I’ve learned what horny Jace looks like.”

 

Honestly learning about the downworld and shadowhunters didn’t come close to this. At least he had fantasy and horror movies to prepare him for those. This? Why hadn’t Clary said anything? Did Clary know? Did  _ Alec _ know? Alec had to know through the parabatai rune, right? And Izzy, surely she knew something, but she didn’t say anything either… Although he vaguely remembered how Izzy seemed to know Simon was pan when they first met the way she had asked if Simon had noticed Jace’s looks. Simon knew the shadowhunter’s sexuality wasn’t any of his business and never had been, but still… “Why are you telling me this?”

 

“Kinda just wanted to see your face,” Maia says, trying not to laugh. “It was worth it. And I’m still a little mad at him, but I know you won’t tell anyone else even if he wasn’t trying super hard to hide it.”

 

“Of course not,” Simon agrees. “Is that why you joked about him sabotaging that date?”

 

Maia didn’t say anything, just left to help a customer without a word. But wait, if Jace really wasn’t straight then did Maia think he  _ was _ trying to sabotage their date? I mean yeah it had been obvious that Jace knew he was setting up Simon for failure looking back, but Simon had figured it was just a prank and moved on. Even though Simon knew Jace didn’t have feelings for him it now seemed even more weird that Jace had left his “book club” to have Simon practice flirting with him. Also hadn’t Jace called him pretty before? Was that still the sarcastic remark Simon thought it was afterward or an actual compliment? And now… Now the silence after Simon had once said he wasn’t Jace’s type when they first met made sense. It was because Jace wasn’t straight. Right?

 

Then what about what Alec said? That Jace had to be Simon’s hero “again”? Jace had saved him a few times now so it just seemed like Alec being his sarcastic self if you thought Jace was straight but now the way Alec had said it had a weird tone… 

He’s calling Izzy as he leaves the bar because she has to talk him down from this spiral if he can’t talk to Clary but before she can even answer the phone he hears someone in the alleyway that he’s walking past and turns to see none other than Jace. Sitting on the ground no less, looking angsty as hell. “Jace?”

 

Jumping with surprise and quickly getting up, Jace shook off his clothes. Simon wants to demand he answer every single question he has burning through his mind, but knew better and waited for Jace to explain why he found the pavement comfortable all of the sudden.

 

“So are you back together?” Jace asks him with a smile instead, clearly going to pretend that a New York city night was the best time to flop around in deserted small places.

 

“What? Maia and I?” Simon asks, also wondering if Jace really thinks Maia would just take him back like that. “No, of course not. I was protecting her as a friend. Why do you care?”

 

“I don’t.” 

 

The way Jace said it, cold and casual like when they first met, makes Simon want to forget every question he’s wondered altogether. At first. That is until the anger hits fast and hard, because _fuck_ _Jace_ for always edging toward being friends with him and then pushing him away like he’s nothing. _Fuck Jace_ for being upset Simon didn’t ask him about Clary. _Fuck Jace_ for trying to protect him from Jordan when Simon knows how to fight himself.

 

“Yeah well then next time you want to be my hero or whatever Alec thinks, don’t,” Simon snaps at him.

 

“ _ What _ did Alec say?” Jace asks, suddenly very close to Simon and looking very angry. His kaleidoscope eyes are ever so slightly wide and his jaw muscle looks tight now.

 

“You heard me,” Simon replies, moving forward just to test him. Jace steps back so quickly so they didn’t touch he almost stumbles. Would have, if he wasn't a shadowhunter. Staring, suddenly fueled with intense curiosity, Simon moves forward again all the way until he has Jace backed up against the side wall of the bar. For a shadowhunter, it was quite possibly the most idiotic thing someone who wanted to leave could do and it’s not even the first time that it’s happened between them. Unless… 

 

Jace’s heart rate is doubled and his breathing is a little uneven but he still has a stony expression. Forced to face the fact that whether or not Jace would ever actually want a relationship with him he is probably attracted, Simon glares even more. Trying to keep his voice even, he says, “Tell me why.”

 

It doesn’t come out even. There’s definitely a tremble. Jace’s lips purse but he’s quiet. There’s no answer given to why he cared about Jordan, why he broke up with Clary, why he acted so weird in the past, and why he let Simon back him into a wall. As a human once, he wouldn’t have gotten this far confronting someone like Jace over feelings or attraction. As a vampire who had already grown up countless times over in the past few months, this isn’t even far enough. “God, Jace, I never thought you were a coward.”

 

Simon only gives him one second to be angry before pushing him completely against the wall and kissing him hard. There’s a muffled sound that Jace makes on the impact of Simon’s lips and the wall at his back but before Simon even thinks about pulling away now that his point is made Jace pulls him in needily. One second he’s wondering if Maia had spiked his drink with plasma, the next he’s not just pressing lips with Jace, the two of them are actually kissing. Not roughly because of anger either, and that’s the part that scares Simon. Whatever had started out as a point has turned desperate but soft. Jace’s hand that had grabbed his arm to keep Simon from pulling away now hesitantly moves to Simon’s back while the other moves to his face. The feel of the leather fingerless glove on his cheek was almost as intoxicating as Jace touching hair, and Simon can’t help but kiss deeper than he had ever intended to. The more Jace pulls him in the more Simon pushes in as well and in minutes what had been delicately sweet becomes a gateway to something seductive.

 

When Simon felt the need to move his mouth to Jace’s jaw, Jace’s hand found it’s way from Simon’s back down to his ass. Involuntarily, Simon moaned at the feel but it was worth it to hear the intake of breath Jace made at the sound. Holding onto every semblance of self control he has, he keeps himself from kissing Jace’s neck and the temptation that warm stretch of skin holds, but Jace has already taken over by kissing the bottom of Simon’s throat. At first he darts around the shirt collar he’s stretching down as Simon’s hand moves to the blonde hair he’s always wanted to feel, but then Jace becomes impatient the second Simon makes a sound and rips the shirt. When whatever this is ends Simon will make sure to tell Jace off for not just taking the damn shirt off like a normal person, but the thought disappears the second Jace is kissing his bare chest. With a huff Jace flips them over with agility only shadowhunters could pull off and then slides his tongue further and further down… 

 

“Jace,” he says weakly, trying not to hate himself to much. Looking down as the blonde stops with the look of utmost exasperation, his blonde eyelashes fluttering as he glares straight ahead at Simon's abs, he tries not to laugh.

 

“Why does that sound like a ‘stop Jace’ and not a ‘oh god Jace’?” he asks a little bitterly as he moves to stand back up.

 

“Can’t it be both?” Simon asks awkwardly, trying to think properly. It wasn’t working.

 

More than likely against his will, Jace smiles. It’s similar to the shadowhunter’s usual smirk, but there’s a vulnerability to it that there’s never been before. “Let me guess, you want to talk now.”

 

 _Definitely still Jace,_ Simon sighs, throwing out any bodysnatcher theories.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like this chapter? Any thoughts? I'll explain a little more about how Maia knows what she knows next chapter... Please review!!


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

 

 

.... “Actually I was going to say I don’t want you to tear apart my pants too,” Simon shot back. Jace’s smile became a full smirk now. They were still standing in the alley and Simon was half expecting Maia or any number of the other bar patrons to come out and spot them. He wondered exactly how an outsider would react to them-- vampire and Shadowhunter prince-- standing so close together, Simon’s bare chest exposed with a ripped shirt. He wasn’t even sure how to react to it as a participant. “Also, I was going to say that I don’t want to have sex in an alley like some prostitute. But since you want to have the talk...”

 

They reached an uneasy silence as neither of them jumped to explain.

 

“Do you want my jacket?” Jace interrupted.

 

Simon smiled. “That’s, uh, sweet, but I’m not cold.”

 

“Take it anyway,” Jace told him, shrugging it off easy and practically shoving it in Simon’s face. 

 

He was fairly confused, he had once had to argue up and down to get Jace to give his jacket to a homeless person as a bribe and knew how precious they were to the Shadowhunter. At first he was freaking out that it was some romantic gesture, only to realize the more likely explanation. “Can you not think with me like this?” Jace gave him a death glare. “That’s it, isn’t it?”

 

Grumpily, Jace folded his arms across his chest and snapped. “Don’t look so proud of yourself Lewis.”

 

It was too late. Simon was grinning more than he had in months. The fact that he had managed to get to Jace on appearance alone was an enormous ego boost. “Hey, you’re the one who backed into the wall in the first place.”

 

“And then you called me a coward,” Jace pointed out. “I remember, I was there.”

 

A terrible thought occurs to him. “Was this just a challenge to you?”

 

Jace looks taken aback, and rushes to say, “No of course not, Simon.  _ Seriously _ , Simon. I’ve thought about this for awhile.”

 

Well  _ that _ was certainly interesting information...

 

“I thought you were straight,” Simon admitted after a moment. He put Jace’s jacket on. While they were roughly the same height, Jace’s shoulders were still much more broad and even though they both had muscles Jace had more bulk after twenty odd years of shadowhunting. As such, the jacket was far too big. The feeling of being wrapped up in something that smelled and felt like Jace way too endearing.

 

Jace stared at him with confusion, like it should have been completely obvious otherwise. “Why?”

 

“Because you’ve only been with girls since I’ve known you!” Simon exclaimed, although it sounds stupid when he said it out loud.

 

“First of all, that’s not true, you just don’t hear about my sex life,” Jace started, giving him a look. “And secondly  _ you’ve _ only been with girls since I’ve known you.”

 

Technically true. Simon almost wanted to laugh, before curiously asking, “Did you think  _ I _ was straight?”

 

Jace bursts out laughing. “Not even once.”

 

Simon isn’t exactly offended, but he does feel slightly annoyed that Jace seems to think he’s so much more masculine. “What about me says ‘not straight’?

 

All he gets in response to the question is a roll of eyes, but when Simon waits not so patiently, Jace chuckles and adds, “I’ve seen you check out Alec before when you thought no one was looking.”

 

“I did not!” Simon defended. Except well  _ maybe _ he had, but that was ages ago before the older shadowhunter had started dating Magnus. 

 

“You did too,” Jace argued. He adds, “Also whatever was up with you and Raphael.”

 

Simon stays a little guiltily silent on that one. Nothing had  _ technically _ happened between him and the vampire clan head but Simon wasn’t completely oblivious to how Raphael had roped him into spending extra time together, lent him clothes, and occasionally crossed the line into flirting. He had almost been tempted until everything had gone down badly with Camille. “Right.”

 

“I was joking!” Jace exclaims, looking miffed. “You and  _ Raphael _ ? Really?”

 

“Okay, well, what about you and Maia?” Simon shot back, deflecting. “Why’s she mad at you all over again?”

 

Jace glared at the change of subject, but Simon didn’t budge, and finally he gave in. “She’s mad that I misled her about loving Clary, for one. I mean, I flat out told her I didn’t, but she didn’t believe me and I let her.”

 

“Why would that matter?” Simon asked, confused.

 

“We kind of slept together to prove I wasn’t,” Jace finally confessed. Simon’s stomach turned. “When she found out who I  _ was _ in lo-- had feelings for-- she was even more angry.”

 

“How’d she find out?” he asked, hoping it’s a safe question. His entire body is as tense as if he was in front of a fresh meal of hot blood. Jace is in love with someone. Jace has feelings for someone. And it’s not Clary or Maia… 

 

“Well according to her, Alec, Izzy, and even fucking  _ Luke _ I’m not exactly good at hiding it anymore,” Jace said, staring Simon straight in the eyes. Simon wasn’t entirely sure how long it’s been since his own breathing had stopped but now he’s painfully aware that his entire being is on alert. 

 

Continuing when Simon only managed a slight gulp, Jace spoke but his voice was becoming less and less even. “I guess it became obvious when you were with the Seelie Queen. Maia found out I had lied about where you were she yelled at me and I told her I cared about your protection more than her feelings and I guess she realized that me looking at Clary all the time was because of you were with her, not the other way around.”

 

Simon’s brain stops working for a second. “ _ I’m _ why you and Clary broke up?

 

“No of course not!” Jace said, looking uncomfortable. “I mean, not entirely. Izzy was part of it.”

 

Briefly, Simon smiles with amusement. “You mean they finally admitted they had feelings for each other?”

 

Jace chuckled, taking the quick distraction as well. “So your gaydar  _ isn’t _ completely useless.”

 

He stuck out his tongue at Jace. “Whatever, shadowhunter.”

 

All he gets is a genuine smile in return. Simon can’t stand how beautiful Jace is when he actually smiles instead of giving some ridiculous smirk. “Yeah, I guess Izzy freaked out about us dating and told Clary that she had always wanted a sister or something. Clary didn’t exactly like that.”

 

Simon laughed. “And we all know how fake siblings love each other.”

 

“ _ Really _ , Simon?” Jace snapped, clearly annoyed at the Clary jibe. 

 

Simon smirked. “Too soon? Sorry. Seriously, I didn’t mean to interrupt your implications you have feelings for me.”

 

Jace simply glared. “I let you wear my jacket!”

 

“It’s just a jacket, Jace,” Simon replied, hoping to antagonize the blonde into revealing more.

 

“Do you know how expensive that jacket is? It was charmed by a warlock so it’s harder to penetrate with metal and it actually fits--,”

 

“Okay, okay, you let me have your senior class ring I get it,” Simon said quickly, half laughing. This couldn’t be real, right? He was just having some really elaborate dream?

 

Jace looked confused. “What?”

 

Realizing the high school reference went over his head, Simon vaguely explained. “Mundane stuff.”

 

“You can not  _ have _ my jacket,” Jace told him firmly. Simon felt his lips curl upward. “I’m just letting you wear it.”

 

“You ripped the front of my shirt in half!” Simon accused.

 

Jace didn’t even bother pretending he was apologetic. “It was in the way. You still can’t have the jacket.”

 

Growing a little impatient at the usual banter and run around, Simon decided to man up and make a move. “Tell me exactly how long you’ve wanted to jump my bones and I’ll give it back.”

 

Jace stared instead, pursing his lips and tightening his jaw. 

 

“It can’t be  _ that _ embarrassing.” Simon sighed. “You didn’t even start tolerating me till the past few months.”

 

Looking a little sheepish, the shadowhunter sarcastically argued, “I know you’re all cute and innocent but you don’t actually have to like someone to want to have sex with them.”

 

“Keep your jacket,” Simon huffed with anger, taking it off immediately.

 

“Simon, that’s not what I meant,” Jace tried to defend, not taking the jacket back when Simon pushed it at him. “Actually it is but I don’t feel that way about  _ you _ !”

 

“How exactly do you feel then, Jace?” Finally Simon had reached the breaking point for the evening.

 

“I-- you really don't know?”

 

Jace is looking vulnerable and exquisitely sincere, but as romantic as that seems, Simon isn’t in the mood. Maybe it’s because he feels dumb for never noticing, maybe because he’s upset Jace is only even admitting things now that Simon had backed him into a wall-- literally-- but Simon snaps. “Oh, sorry, let's see should I have guessed when you continuously insulted me, told me you didn't even care about learning my name, and made your best effort to kick me off every single mission possible? When you let your grandmother throw me in a cell? All that was what, foreplay?”

 

“I was protecting you,” Jace said, his voice quiet. Kaleidoscope eyes were staring back at Simon with such beautiful intensity that Simon had to look away before he gave in.

 

“From  _ what _ ? Your feelings? Newsflash, Jace, but feelings aren’t actually deadly.”

 

“No, from being used as leverage!” Jace yelled. “I'm dangerous, Simon. When Valentine was alive every single step I made was being watched. You were close to death just being around me and Clary and if people realized what I felt it would have been even worse! Why do you think Valentine kidnapped you?”

 

Simon paused at the outburst. He hadn’t actually expected the repressed shadowhunter to unload on him, so carefully he suggests, “So Clary would rescue me.”

 

Jace scoffs. “He’s smarter than that Simon, he finds everyone's weakest point and drives screws in them. He knew Clary would never touch the sword and activate it, he wanted  _ me _ there because he knew I  _ would _ if I thought I was destroying it.”

 

“Didn't he just think you'd follow Clary anyway?” he asked weakly.

 

“Maybe. But he also taught me that to love is to destroy and be destroyed. And just like he snapped my falcon’s neck, he slit your throat.”

 

Simon files away this falcon story for later. Somehow, knowing Valentine, he doesn’t quite believe it’s a metaphor like he wishes it was. He tries to remember all those weeks ago when the fanatic had taken him, tries  _ not _ to remember the look of terror on both Clary and Jace’s face right as Valentine’s knife cut his throat. He had known it would work on Clary, his best friend of over a decade. Jace, however...

 

“So you started having feelings for me then?” Simon asked carefully, watching every minuscule movement Jace made.

 

“God no, I realized i was  _ in love _ with you then,” Jace scoffed, before quite realizing what he had confessed. Suddenly his eyes were wide and he looked more startled than Simon has ever seen him look. The shock on his face is all Simon can seem to think about because his brain is still unable to quite wrap around the idea that Jace Herondale, golden boy shadowhunter, could ever be in love with  _ him _ . Jace falters. “I mean--,”

 

“Why would you date Clary then?” Simon interrupts.

 

Jace pauses, fidgeting with the stele on his side. He doesn’t appear to be avoiding the question, just thinking how to explain, so Simon lets him ponder for a moment before Jace begins. “Look this whole thing with Clary-- she's the first person who shook up my routine and made me realize I wasn't just some soldier. And yeah, I had feelings for her at first, but I moved on. Why do you think I kept the fact we weren't siblings from her as long as I could?”

 

Simon _had_ wondered that before. “But why after, then? Why date her when she and I broke up?”

 

The blonde looked away. “Clary and I both were in this weird place of having been romantic and then siblings but never just friends and all of the sudden she lost her entire blood family. I think she thought if she tried to be in love with me I wouldn't leave. You know the feeling, I'm sure.”

 

Simon did indeed.

 

“Especially once you died,” he added with a sigh. He loved Clary to pieces, but justifiably with what she had been through the past few months her abandonment issues had screwed over both of them.

 

Jace nodded. “I didn’t want to hurt her, Simon, and you were with Maia anyway and I figured you’d never look at me twice given your history of ignoring me flirting with you and hating me--,”

 

“Flirting with me?” Simon exclaimed incredulously. “You call ten thousand mixed signals  _ flirting _ with me?”

 

“I watched that mundie movie Star Wars because of you!” Jace shot back immediately, looking offended. “And made a reference to it,  _ in public _ where I have a reputation and you didn’t even care!”

 

“So you  _ were _ doing the jedi mind trick move!” Simon shouted, feeling vindicated. He had wondered about that consistently for weeks, but hadn’t been able to figure out how Jace would even watch the movie and why he’d bother. Within seconds he’s beaming, and while Jace holds out as long as possible he ends up smiling back too. “That’s the cutest thing someone’s done for me in a long time.”

 

Jace makes a face, although Simon distinctly notices how his cheeks flush, and unable to help it any longer Simon moves forward and kisses him deeply. He definitely owed Maia the tip of a lifetime.

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go, that's the end!! Hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know what you think and if you liked the logic behind everything. :)


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